F-104D "71314" (57-1314) AFFTC support F-104D, construction number 283-5026, model 383-04-06, US serial number 57-1314, built by Lockheedfirst flight October 15, 1958 at Palmdale; available September 17, 1958; accepted November 28, 1958; delivery date December 5, 1958 479th TFW 1958-1959, ARDC (AFFTC support) 1959; modified to JF-104D in August 1961 June 1963 at China Lake involved in high speed Sidewinder tests and training USN/USMC pilots, with AFSC, AFFTC, APRS crash-landed August 6, 1968, stored Mojave AP 1973-1985 as "0-71314" with extensive fire damage 57-1314 at Mojave in April 1974; Mojave in October 1976; 57-1314 at Mojave on November 9, 1978; scrapped. copyright © Grondstein collection While maneuvering at 35,000' the cabin pressure was noted to dump rapidly to a point that the cabin altimeter indicated only 1,000' lower than actual aircraft altitude. Student Mr. Hmiel, at the controls, decided to try to make Edwards main runway and land. Both pilots hooked up zero lanyards. A modified high key point was reached north of Edwards and the IP noted that the base leg initially appeared slightly wide. This was corrected with help from a tailwind moving the aimpoint to correct position for an SFO approach. As the aircraft pitched up to flare and rotation to land it became obvious to both pilots that the aircraft was not responding with enough pitch rate to accomplish a proper flare. The IP took over the controls and pulled (he also reached for the throttle but did not get to it in time) and the aircraft impacted the runway hard. The gear had not been retracted yet. The nose of the aircraft was slightly above the horizon at impact and the aircraft first impacted on the ventral fin and tip tanks. After initial impact the aircraft slid 87' then rebounded and flew 1,935' recontacting the runway again on the underside fuselage and tip tanks. The aircraft slid straight down the runway and came to rest with 3,000' of runway remaining. The aircraft caught fire shortly before it stopped and was extensively damaged by the fire. On impact both pilots felt back pain. The IP lost most of his vision and immediately released the stick and ejected approximately 1000' after initial impact with the aircraft in a flat attitude. He landed 30' left of the centerline and 2,000' down Rwy 04. Witnesses said he swung just a ½ or 1 and a ½ times after chute deployment before landing. The IP was injured in his left leg and back. The student pilot heard the IP eject about 3 seconds after initial impact but chose to remain with the aircraft since it appeared to be sliding straight down the runway. As it was sliding the pilot stop-cocked the throttles and hit the drag chute. The drag chute did not deploy due to the aircraft resting on the drag chute door. The pilot made one rudder correction during the 12,000' slide to keep the aircraft on the runway. When the aircraft came to rest the pilot released the survival kit and jettisoned the canopy. The canopy thrusters fired but the canopy dropped back on the rails and had to be pushed off manually. The parachute proved to be too heavy for the pilot due to his back injury so he unfastened the buckles, kicked off the spurs and exited over the left side of the aircraft. He departed the area due to fire on the left side of the aircraft and was assisted aboard an UH-1 helicopter that arrived shortly after and was evacuated to hospital.
